Courtesy of Michael Moore as a thank you to his fans and to promote voting in the upcoming election on November 4, 2008.

Friends,

As you may have heard, I’ve decided to make my new film, “Slacker Uprising,” available for free to everyone in the United States and Canada. It is the first time ever that a major feature-length film is debuting as a free download on the internet — legally. I am doing this for two reasons:

1. Next year it will be 20 years since my first film, “Roger & Me,” so I’d like to give those of you who’ve supported my work over the years a thank you gift in the form of a brand new movie; and

2. I hope the release and wide distribution of this new movie will help to bring out millions of young and new voters on November 4th.

“Slacker Uprising” takes place in the wake of “Fahrenheit 9/11,” during the run-up to the 2004 election, as I traveled for 42 days across America, visiting 62 cities in a failed attempt to remove George W. Bush from office. My goal was to help turn out a record number of young voters and others who had never voted before. (That part was a success. Young adults voted in greater numbers than in any election since 18-year-olds were given the right to vote. And the youth vote was the only age group that John Kerry won.)

What I encountered during the tour and the filming was both inspiring and frightening, so I thought, hey, this might make for a funny and enlightening movie! Each night, thousands would show up to volunteer in the Slacker Army against Bush. This drove local Republicans nuts. In one state they tried to have me arrested. At two colleges, rich donors offered to donate more money to the college if they would ban me from campus. Nearly a half-dozen universities kept the Slacker Uprising tour off their campuses. But there was no stopping this movement. By the time we got to Florida, 16,000 people a night were showing up.

It was clear that young people were the ones who were going to save the day — just as they are in this year’s election.

On Tuesday, September 23rd, you will be able to stream, download, or burn a DVD of “Slacker Uprising,” free of charge. The distribution is being organized by Robert Greenwald’s Brave New Films (they’re the great people behind “OUTFOXED: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism” and “WAL-MART: The High Cost of Low Price”).

To sign up for the download of “Slacker Uprising,” click here. You have my blanket permission to share the movie with your friends, to set up screenings in your communities or theaters, to show it on your campuses — all at no charge. I encourage you to rally voters with it, to raise funds for your favorite candidates, to air it on your local cable access channels or web broadcasts. You can also click here to request a free DVD of “Slacker Uprising” for your school or university library.

As I said, this is a movie for you, my fans — a little 97-minute digital treat that I think you’ll really enjoy. I hope you’ll check out SlackerUprising.com and download it a week from today, next Tuesday, September 23rd.

Thanks again for coming to my movies all these years. It’s meant a lot to me. I feel very privileged and blessed, and I am honored to be in this “virtual” community with you as we try to reclaim our beloved country.

P.S. The world premiere of “Slacker Uprising” will take place in one of the great slacker capitals of this country, Ann Arbor, Michigan, this Thursday at 5pm at the historic Michigan Theater. Admission is free on a first-come, first-served basis. If you’re in the neighborhood, hope to see you there!

P.P.S. If you live outside the U.S. and Canada, I’m sorry that I don’t own the rights to make this film available to you for free. But it will be coming to a theater, video store or television network near you soon.

P.P.P.S. If you are not part of the “downloadable” generation, I am making a low-cost DVD of “Slacker Uprising” available at Amazon, Netflix and your local stores in October.